Accidentally Engaged is the perfect romance read to finish in a single sitting. It also really got me in the mood for some good sourdough bread but I had to settle for some cookies instead. This book ticked off a lot of boxes for me: Indian protagonist, check, involving cooking, check, British accent, double check.

There is a lot to love about this book from the interactions between Reena and Nadim to the family relationships that develop throughout the book.

I loved reading a romance book that focuses on South Asian main characters being Sri Lankan myself. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book from my local bookstore to add to my collection.

This book made me want to learn to bake bread! I tried my hand in making sourdough from scratch!! I enjoyed this book so much. Loved the story line love that these characters were diverse and it was a charming rom com.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly March New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

2020 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Hot Beverage

“You checked all my boxes. Even the secret boxes no one knew about. I could barely breathe that night when I found you sitting outside my door barefoot with a bag of bread. You were prickly and so independent, but I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. You feel like home.”

This was such an emotional read and (not to get too cheesy!) felt like home in a lot of ways. I related so much to Reena's messiness and deep-rooted insecurities. I did think Nadim needed to be developed as a character a bit more — we never see his pov, and I never rooted for him the way I did for Reena. Some things I really liked:

- The drunken scene that doesn't lead to dubious consent! I super love this plot choice in modern contemporary romances, and it was adorable to see how their drunken shenanigans progressed the food competition plot.

- Family secrets! Reena's family felt hypocritical... and also familiar. It was hilarious how all their secrets intersected and ended up not being a huge deal. I also liked that Reena's family was interfering and a source of stress, but not toxic to the point where I wanted to Reena to disown them. I feel like fictional families are usually either end of the spectrum (nightmarish or angels), and it was nice to see a flawed family that ultimately had each other's backs. I was relieved that Saira and Reena developed a a healthier dynamic as the book progressed (I was concerned that it would just be fighting and snide remarks the whole time).

- Foot fetish! No, I will not elaborate. 👀

- A bleak moment that happens at 70%?!? Be still, my fluttering heart. The end conflict and resolution are paced really, really well (the book still managed to shock me at the end!).

- So happy to visit Duncan and Amira from THE CHAI FACTOR again! Even when Reena was at her lowest, I was never *truly* worried for her because she has an amazing support system in her friends and family.

FYI: there are no on-page explicit sex scenes. The characters do have sex, but the book chooses to skip over the scene itself. I think it fit the romance, but go in with those expectations!

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Accidentally Engaged is a fun book about an arranged engagement. Overall, I felt like this was a pretty lighthearted book- at times it was quirky, funny, and swoon worthy. There was a few parts that I probably could have did without. For instance, there was a part about head lice that literally just made me cringe- I get it, the author was showing different ways in which the two characters bonded but it wasn’t one of my favorite scenes. I really liked the growth of the characters and the way that they took ownership in forming their relationship by their own rules.

I thought the spin on a cooking competition was a nice touch to the story. I also feel like the constant budding in of the parents added some good drama. I think readers will appreciate this storyline a lot. In the end, Nadim and Reena really did fall in love and their, “accidental engagement” wasn’t an accident after all.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. A rom-com filled with Indian and Muslim culture. The food was such a great highlight. I could smell the bread baking while reading about it. I loved the characters .I loved the cooking show part of it and thought the characters were the perfect fit for eachother.

This was an easy 5 stars for me! Within the first 10 minutes of picking this up, I already knew this was going to be fabulous. It has all the ingredients I like- an introspective slightly neurotic heroine, complex family dynamics, female friendships, an instantly emotionally-available hero, and the most delectable breads (my favourite) and food. This book is absolute rom-com gold.

The premise of this book is that Reena is an aspiring baker and all round cooking/bread making savant stuck in a financial job she doesn’t really care about and trying to keep her head above water when it comes to her meddling family. When said meddling family hooks her up with recently arrived to Canada, Nadim, she instantly rejects him so as not to reward their meddling even though she’s super attracted to him. When the worst of days leads to Reena and Nadim inadvertently entering entering a tv cooking competition for families, the two find themselves accidentally engaged.

Everything about this book is absolutely adorable. Indeed I need to read this author’s debut, The Chai Factor, which I believe featured Reena’s best friend in this book. I need more of her engaging, eminently readable humour and wit and understanding of family and people and society. But have no fear, you CAN start with this book. It is completely standalone and makes absolute sense even if you haven’t read the previous book. What’s great about this is that it follows traditional rom-com plotting in terms of the way the story is told, but the FOOD!!!! The culture!!!! The family!!! All of that adds colour and life and vibrancy to what is a standard rom-com plot.

There’s as much intrigue and tension in this as there is emotion and vulnerability. There’s humour and there’s brokenness. There’s relationships being healed and truths being told, but also the recognition that some relationships are beyond healing. I love the amount of growth in both protagonists as characters. The amount of learning to go beyond past toxic acceptance of situations and relationships with themselves and others that no longer serve them. I adored the complexity of the family dynamics from Reena’s fraught relationship with her parents, and with her sister Saira. Nadim was an absolute delight- imperfect but adorable and likable with his kinks and closed off openness. He was a perfect match to Reena who was more reserved and self-protective.

Heat-wise, this felt immensely spicy even though it’s more a closed door romance or at least, one with the door ajar. It’s not explicit but there’s so much chemistry and banter foreplay and food foreplay that it feels hotter than it probably is in truth. The characters in this are Muslim but it’s not a book in which religion is a significant theme. Culture and social norms are more significant in this novel than religion is. I felt like I got new insights into East African Indian food and diaspora culture and it was a joy to experience. I HIGHLY recommend this to any fans of food-based romances or rom-coms. This book is gentle but also dramatic and a perfect read if you’re looking to be consumed by your next read.

I got a complimentary copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book! This book follows Reena who works in a dead end job, is single, lives in an apartment her father owns, and bakes for fun. This book was delightful - it had family including family drama (and I thought my family was bad!), friendships, finding yourself and your home, and great food - read this with a platter of Indian food and a loaf of sourdough! I really loved Nadim’s character so much. I really connected with him especially having moved around a lot and never really settling one place and finding my own version of home. Although the book was fairly predictable, I loved how the author got there especially with the wonderful supporting characters - like Reena’s parents (love her mom so much), her quirky sister, and her best friends. Definitely a feel good book with a delicious ending!!!

Accidentally Engaged will have readers laughing out loud and craving allll the bread!

Reena Manji is a witty, strong and independent woman. Her deep passion for baking and love of bread has carried her through some tough times. When her sweet and traditional — yet meddlesome and slightly controlling — parents try to set her up with another potential husband, she is determined to pay him no attention. Nadim Remtulla is incredibly sexy, charming and his love of food makes it easy for the two of them to bond. His British accent is really just a bonus. She tries to resist....until an opportunity to enter a cooking competition comes up that she can't turn down. The problem? It's a couple's competition and Reena needs a partner!

The fake dating trope is one of my favourites when it comes to romantic comedies and I'm a complete sucker for reality TV. This whole book kept me engaged from start to finish, with the right amount of steam, a healthy dose of humour and a touch of mystery. Farah Heron has created a wonderful cast of diverse characters. Each one was funny and stood out on their own. I appreciated how supportive Reena's friends were and at times, her family too. By the end, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

I enjoyed the unique cultural aspects in this book. The descriptions of the food were enough to make me want to explore new cuisines. There was a fine line between Reena pushing cultural boundaries and her loyalty to her family, and I felt the frustration of her struggle to make decisions.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good rom-com. I didn't want to put it down. But be sure to have snacks on hand because this book will make you hungry!

Thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the eARC to review.

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron is what desi, rom-com dreams are made of. 💚 Thanks to the publisher for the free review copy. 4.5/5 🌟

I’ve been obsessed with *fictional* south-asian couples since last year (just brown girl things lol) and Accidentally Engaged was just the book I needed to fall in love with them even more. This book had everything that I want in a romantic comedy novel!
▪A witty heroine with a love for cooking (which was a bonus)
▪ A hero with dimples & a british accent (TS’s London Boy plays on the background)
▪ Desi touch to fake dating – A FAKE ENGAGEMENT. 😂
▪ Big-brown family drama
▪ Mouth-watering descriptions of food
▪ Muslim culture representation

Accidentally Engaged had me laughing from the very first chapter. The storyline was so entertaining and addictive, I couldn’t keep it down at all! If you’re looking for a book to get out of slump, this book is THE ONE. 😍
Reena was such a relatable character, OMG. Her deeply-ingrained wish to please her parents, trust issues and insecurities about life not turning out the way she wants it to ~ made me connect with her really easily. If only I knew how to bake/cook like her! 😭

Experiencing Reena’s relationship with Nadim was such a fun ride! There were endless comedic moments along the way. Reena and Nadim’s conversations were filled with the perfect amount of banter and humor! It’s been a while since I laughed so much while reading a novel, so many thanks to the author for writing such an amazing story. :’) The fake-engagement trope was just the best thing ever. Seeing Reena and Nadim navigate their relationship with complex family dynamics playing in the background made reading the book so addictive! 😍

I wish we had chapters from Nadim’s point of view though ~ it would have given the romance a more acute sense of closure, in my opinion. The drama that unfolded in the last few chapters seemed a bit far-stretched at times too. These stopped me from rating the book with 4.5 stars instead of 5 😭 But please don’t let that stop you from reading the book though. I highly recommend reading it to add a bit of fun to your lives! 💕

ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED was absolutely hilarious! I was pulled in immediately and was such a pickup book. This book was a very lighthearted rom-com with elements of family and friends that add to the story without straying away from the romance or the comedy aspect. One of my favorite things about this book is the thorough description of making starters of bread -- the main character's love for baking bread is so admirable and honestly made me want to start making my own bread.

Another aspect that I enjoyed about ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED was learning about Reena and Nadim's culture and how being a diaspora has affected their connection to their culture. Their discussion of the different ways they try to preserve their culture was also an important conversation and something I feel like many diasporas can connect to. The author brings up such important issues and the way their culture is taught to us feels so smooth and easy to follow along with still staying to the storyline.

The characters WERE ABSOLUTELY LOVABLE. I loved Nadim and Reena so much! Seeing their growth together and their fun conversations were so entertaining. There are some side characters also later introduced in the book that I think is vital to the story and are also just as lovable.

Overall this is a book I would recommend to people who love the fake-dating trope! If you need a good easy read to get you through the day and love rom-com, definitely pick this up.

This book had me hooked right from the ending of that first chapter! Right away, our main character Reena stumbles into the man her parents want her to marry, Nadim, as he is entering the apartment building she lives in, which he himself just moved to.

Nadim right away was such an adorable love interest. He was attractive yes, but underneath that he has such a goofy and sweet nature. I instantly liked him and was glad of that! It made this reading experience so much better. Also.. have never read a romance book with a character who has a foot fetish. Oddly endearing! Especially during a particular scene near the end of the book, it almost brought me to tears with how sweet of a gesture it was.

I also adored Reena, I’d say she’s my favourite character from this book. She’s a mess, yes but a mess in the way that we all are. I found her so relatable especially as she went on the journey of figuring out how to cope with life and admitting to not only her family and friends, but to herself that she does deal with depression but that it can be managed. The mental health rep was well done, in my opinion at least!

I especially loved her love for cooking! Honestly, all of the food talk in this book just made me so hungry!

This book really delves into family life and everything surrounding it, the good, the bad, the secrets and lies and drama. But also, the love and support that only family can bring to the table. (Found family counts as family too!) Reena’s journey with her sister and mother and father, those plot points helped us see more of Reena in different lights and really highlighted how she became the person she was today. The growth that her and her family go through was so touching and made me love her and them all the more.

One of my only complaints for the book is that I wish the food competition had a bit more spotlight. All of the scenes during the competition were so great, I guess I was just greedy for more of those interactions and well… more food! I also just wanted a tad bit more on the fake dating plot but I really can’t complain too much. I loved Nadim and Reena together from the start.

Overall, this story was so good and is a great, great addition to the romance genre. Please go pick up a copy for yourself! Especially if you enjoy cooking (especially bread), family, fake dating, food competition!, and so much more.

4/5⭐️

TW: depression, eating disorder.

This is a charming romance from Farah Heron! I was hooked by the adorable meet-cute at the beginning of the story, and I flew through the rest. This is my favorite kind of romance, where entertaining moments of romance and humor are balanced with thoughtful themes like cultural expectations and mental health. Plus, the food descriptions were AMAZING. 😍 I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.

Accidentally Engaged was an unexpected and absolute gem of a book. Equal parts laugh out loud funny, sweet, and emotional, this is the food-centric, hearty, fake dating book of your dreams.
Summary: Reena Manji just wants to come home in the evenings from her unsatisfying job and bake bread with what independence she has managed to wrest from her meddling family. All of her plans are thrown for a loop when her hunky new neighbor Nadim turns out to be her father’s new partner at work and the latest man whom her family wants her to marry. Reena doesn’t want to have anything to do with an arranged marriage but when a couples/family only cooking competition with a dream opportunity comes up, spending more time with Nadim may be exactly what’s in store. No spoilers, but what follows was just really entertaining and sweet and swoon-worthy and gosh Nadim and Reena are just so dang precious together.
I loved this book so much, there was so much to love, you basically have my attention anytime you’ve got fake dating/fake engagement or anything along those lines but this book just had a little bit more oomph to it. I liked that they were neighbors and foodies, it just added more lovely domesticity to it that I just ate up with a spoon (pun fully intended). I always enjoy the slow burn and pining that comes with fake dating and boy did Heron nail it in this book. I really loved watching them fall in love with each other and learning to open up and trust each other. It was beautiful.
This book just had a lot going for it on top of a wonderful romance. iN addition to great friendships, I loved the over-the-top family and the dynamics within the family as the book went on. I especially liked the development between Reena and her sister Saira as the book went on, as a sister myself, that did my heart good. But while the family could be frustrating and convoluted at times, it could also be so funny and sweet and just like family: very complicated but there for you. I loved it.
I also really appreciated the depression representation in this book. It’s something that’s really important to me and I thought it was well handled and I appreciated the different ways that the two characters who dealt with it experienced it in different ways and had to learn and unlearn different coping mechanisms. That was lovely to see. There are so many people like Reena who may struggle with depression who don’t feel comfortable calling it that or don’t know how to deal with that and getting to see it dealt with in books like thi, I like to think can have positive real-world effects and I love to see it.
Overall, I had such a good time reading this book. It was full of rich diversity and culture and love and also so much food! No seriously, do not read this book hungry! Don’t be a hero, stock up on snacks before reading this amazing book. Thank you so much Netgalley and the fine folks at Forever Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this wonderful book. Definitely adding this to my recommended reading list.

This book has it all. A phony engagement, immersed culture, a cooking show, delicious food, great friends & family. Reena and Nadim are a sweet, sultry couple who are made for each other. This is my first book by this author, but it will most certainly not be my last - just added Chai Factor to my reading list.

This book was so much fun and full of things that I love - fun, flirty banter between characters, family cooking shows, BREAD - SO MUCH BREAD. I loved this book and it was exactly the light, fun, rom-com that I needed to get me out of a bit of a reading slump.

I loved Reena's character, her relationships with her friends and the effortless chemistry between her and Nadim. The fake romance story got an extra spin given the almost-arranged marriage which gave it a little bit of an enemies to lovers feel - though it was more the idea of the marriage that they hated and not each other. Either way, I got all the feels and found myself smiling though the majority of it (and maybe drooling through the rest given all the descriptions of meals and bread...mmm, bread).

Baking bread was maybe the one hobby I didn't attempt to pick up during this pandemic, but this book has me desperately wanting my own sourdough starter to name and feed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for granting my wish on this one - I adored it, and can't wait to read more by Farah Heron.

Reena, an avid bread baker comes home one day and finds an incredibly handsome stranger moving into the apartment across the hall. One swoon worthy, eye catching man with an accent to die for.

Reena has some personal challenges, with work, and her family, she hopes that an arrangement with the handsome neighbour will help her get back on solid footing.

I love how Farah showed a different side to family dynamics and how surface relationships aren't always what they seem to be. It was really refreshing to see 'taboo' topics being brought to light and discussed.

Thank you to @farahheronauthor and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

Such a fun book! I thought that I would love this book because of the baking aspect and, of course, the fake dating. I wasn't wrong! Laugh out loud funny and an abundance of carbs - a recipe for success!

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for a copy of this book!

This novel is so great! I loved reading about Reena and her love of cooking and baking and how this hobby leads her to self reflection and discovery. A lot of this novel focuses on discovering who you are, what makes you happy and the importance of communication. I loved seeing multiple relationships develop. There is development of romantic love but also development of sibling and parental relationships and friendships. I loved the discussions on mental health, normalizing therapy and the discussions on different cultures in a relationship.

I loved reading a novel set in Canada! And seeing and learning about Reena’s culture and food - everything sounded so good!Accidentally Engaged published today and I highly recommend it!

Content/triggers: discussion of eating disorders, some body shaming, death of a parent discussed in memories, racism towards Muslim individuals, cheating (discussed in memories)

I enjoyed this book a lot. I love that Reena realized she needed to make herself happy & not rely on others to do so. I loved her dysfunctional family & how they learned in in trying to protect each other they were keeping sectets that caused strife. I loved learning more about Tanzanian & Indian food & culture. I would have really liked to hear more from Nadim's POV, I feel like that would have completed the story more for me.

Do you like fake engagments? Because I freaking love them and in this one is so good!I loved it, it's fun,sweet and heartwarming.

I loved everything about this book, the heroine is so unique and you can easily relate to her.She is amazing.And the hero is so swoon worthy!

This is about family,food and love.Such a good combination and the writing was phenomenal, that once you start it you cannot stop until you finish it!